Korean Job Discussion Forums

[AfroBurrito]

I have private health insurance with my hagwon but was informed today that they will not cover my Obstetric visits or anything related to my baby because a foreigner becoming pregnant "is not a disease." Neither is breaking a leg, but I imagine that would be covered.

My baby's father is Korean. I love him very much...but I am not ready to marry him. I was...but shizzy happens, and I have decided that is not in my best interest. He wants to marry for insurance, but he's being too hasty about things. If need be, I will go home and have my baby (even though I have no health insurance at home, I would have more family and support).

I don't want to cut him off and have our baby away from him, but without better medical choices, I may have to do just that.

So...is it possible to self-enroll in NHIC?

I apologize in advance if this question has been posed.

[tob55]

Good question, I thought it was required to have NHIC and 'other' insurances were optional. Were you hired as a 'company' worker or as an independent contractor? I never heard of this situation, but I am not up on the current laws either, so it might well be. You might want to consider other private insurance to cover the costs of your pre-natal care. Sorry to read about your situation. All the best, and I hope you can get things worked out.

The 'foreigner' thing about the coverage on your policy surprises me a bit considering Korea is usually quite open when it comes to these types of situations. Good luck.

[Unposter]

I am not sure I have any good advice but here goes:

1. You should have Korean National Health Insurance. If you don't, you should push your employer to put you on it. But, be warned, you will be forced to make back payments on all the time you have been in Korea.

2. Even without health insurance, health care costs are not that expensive here, you may want to consider having it here regardless of having insurance.

3. Make your boyfriend pay up. He should be paying at least half the bill.

4. I would be concerned that your employer may try to fire you, especially (if/once) you show. It may not happen but I'd be concerned that it could happen. Be prepared.

5. How will you take care of this child once you are unemployed and have to raise the child? You need to make some of these decisions as well. Go over this with your boyfriend.

6. Some doctors may be willing to use your boyfriend's or some other family member's insurance to help pay for you (it is probably illegal but I can't say I've never heard it happen before)

Good luck and God bless!!!

[coralreefer_1]

As mentioned, yes you can self enroll in NHIC. Also as mentioned, you would have to back pay for every month that you were not covered previously, from the date that you entered the country.

A few years ago as a student, I wanted to enroll in NHIC as well, even though I have a policy provided through the university. The amount of time from my entry until the point I visited the office was almost 2 years. At that time, those on student visas had a 50% discount, but even whith that, paying back two years worth of uncovered months would have been close to 800,000 won to pay just to enroll.

Yet, and here is my point..the lady in the office informed me that the period was considered from the last entry date on your passport..as in, not your first entry. She told me if i simply left and re-entered the country, the period would reset and the NEW entry date would be the start point, and from then would have 90 days to register.

If it has been so many months from your last entry into Korea that you would be paying a substantial more than the cost of a trip, I would suggest doing as I did. Take a quick trip to Japan and back, reenter Korea..and register within 90 days.

In my case, I took the Beetle ferry from Busan to Fukouka and came back the same day...basically leaving Busan at 8am, having lunch and a bit of shopping in Fukouka, and then back to the ship at 2, arriving back in Busan around 5. Round trip was 190,000 plus some port charges in Busan., and was able to register with NHIC the following week with no back pay/penalty.

[AfroBurrito]

Thank you all for the informative replies.

tob...I was also rather taken aback by the response. But seeing as how it is a private insurance company and I'm not privy to the particulars of what is and is not permitted in terms of coverage, I have no way to contest or seek further information. Even my BF didn't seem too surprised to hear that this was the case. I don't know how I am contractually defined. The language in my contract is very generic and simply describes me as English Teacher. I don't wish to impugn my employer too intensely, as she has been fair, for the most part. I have a few points of contention here and there, but nothing has been too corrosive to our professional relationship.

Unposter...My employer doesn't seem interested in helping me apply for National Health Insurance. When I posed the question to her she simply replied, "It cannot be done." And the BF has no money to help me with this because he gives money to his mother, his sister--even though she has her own husband--his sister's children, and he pays alimony and child support (or its Korean equivalent) to his first wife and their son. And I won't be showing for a while. I've got my old beer belly to hide the "news" for a bit. And while the costs may be comparatively less expensive than those back in the States, I was hoping to have my baby at a natural birthing center in Seoul which was well appointed with English-speaking staff and birthing classes on offer. Seeing as how this will more than likely be my only pregnancy (I'm classified as AMA), I wanted a good experience. So, that means more money. It's a pricey alternative, but one which feels worth the expenditure. At least it did until I realized I would be required to cover it all out of my own pocket. As for your more personal inquiry, I will take care of this baby the same way my mother took care of me as a single mother, with fierce devotion, sacrifice, love, attention, ingenuity, and the help of a very big, caring extended family. White picket fences don't happen to everyone. But good people can still arise from non-traditional circumstances. And respectfully, I'm well aware of the decisions I need to go over and what my responsibilities are and aren't. Is this an ideal situation? Most certainly not, but I assure you I'm up to the task.

coralreefer...I have only been in Korea (this time) since last October. I would be more than happy to pay any back-fees, but would I not need my employer to make contributions henceforth? She doesn't seem willing to do so.

Again, thank you for your insight.

[coralreefer_1]

Your employer paying into the heath coverage is just a "perk" of the job. It is not mandatory that an employer must or otherwise no coverage. It would simply mean you are paying the cost yourself.

Whether or not they are willing to "contribute" like many other ESL and other jobs do is a different story. However you can get the coverage..even if you have to pay it yourself in full.

[AfroBurrito]

[emetib]

I've done it. Contact them:
http://www.nhic.or.kr/static/html/wbd/g/a/wbdga0206.html

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I've had experiences with both private and public insurance in Korea. IMHO public is what you need, private is supplementary and a joke by itself.

Side Note: If you need information on doulas and ob-gyns etc...PM me as well.

[tob55]

[AfroBurrito]

Thanks all for the info...

I had my boyfriend call the NHIS office. My experience with Korean government offices is that they will say one thing in English whilst offering contradictory information in Korean, so it's usually better to have a Korean phone.

They told him that it was not possible for me to buy into the NHIS and that it was only "for Koreans." Nevermind that I had it last year as a public school teacher...

This has made my decision easy. I will just return home. I don't feel like hassling with Korean bureaucracy. The stress of dealing with all of this is not worth it and it's certainly not good for my baby.

Again, my thanks to all of you.

[SeoulNate]

[Savant]

[AfroBurrito]

[Savant]

As far as I remember there are two ways for them to work out your monthly fee:

1) The first is a flat rate fee.

2) I think this is based on salary.

So, if you have a high salary then paying 100% of contributions could work out to be pretty high per month. I [read: Korean girlfriend] just said to sign me up for the flat rate fee (around 85,000 per month).

[Squire]

You decided to have a kid with a guy you aren't even willing to stay with? If you're just going to take his kid away to a foreign country over medical costs I'd be looking to get out now if I were him, before forming an emotional attachment